Monthly Archives: June 2013

Sometimes I don’t know how much money I have in my checking account until I check my bank account online. This isn’t a great choice for my finances, but I admit that I’m guilty of it occasionally. I know that I should track my checking account in my checkbook register.

Many people in the U.S. have this attitude about something much more serious: their sexual health. One in five people in the U.S. live with HIV and don’t know.

Why don’t they know?

They don’t check.

It is time to change this statistic. HIV Testing is the only way to monitor your health in this area.

June 27 marks National HIV Testing Day. Since many people with HIV don’t have symptoms, the virus is easy to miss. To receive the benefits of treatment, you have to know if you have the virus first. To take control and improve your health, you must be tested for HIV.

National HIV Testing Day is not only a reminder to have yourself tested. It is also a chance for all adults to improve their health through learning about HIV. Take this time to educate yourself and others about transmission, how to lower your chances of infection and the importance of testing.

HIV Transmission Basics

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) kills the cells in your body that help fight off infection and disease. It can be spread a number of ways from person to person. Some of the most common ways HIV is spread are:

Having multiple sex partners

Unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex

Sharing needles, syringes or other equipment used to prepare illicit drugs for injection

Being born to an infected mother

Reduce your risk

The first step in preventing HIV is to know your status. Everyone should be tested for HIV once, and those with increased risk should be tested every year. To continue reducing your risk of infection, you should limit your sexual activity and the number of sexual partners you have. Be aware of proper condom use and use them consistently.

No Excuses! Convenient Testing

We’ve heard all the excuses in the book. This year on National STD Testing Day, we want you to stand up for your health. Testing at ARCpoint labs is easy- you don’t have to worry about insurance or setting up an appointment. Walk in, meet our certified collectors, and walk out- it is that easy. You’ll receive your results in the next few days.

We all know about the infamous freshman fifteen. If you’re a senior in high school, it seems like a distant and unlikely horror story. If you’re coming home from your first year at school, though, you know that it is real.

The freshman fifteen doesn’t hit everyone, but it is a pretty common phenomenon. Whether you gained 5 pounds or 15, we’ll give you some tips for shedding that extra weight. To learn how to fight it, let’s first look at how the weight creeps in.

How the weight adds up

1. Sleep Pattern Changes – Life at college has a completely different schedule. There are usually major shifts in the way you sleep. You may go to bed late, sleep late and take naps throughout the day. The new environment can affect the quality of your sleep, too. Your body reacts to these changes by altering your appetite-related hormones. You may eat more and more without feeling satisfied.

2. Alcohol – Calories like to hide in alcoholic drinks. You probably don’t realize the amount of calories in that bottled mixed drink, but you definitely aren’t worried about the calories after four bottles. Drinking can cause your body to decrease fat burning hormones and increase in fat storage hormones.

3. Stress – Your first year at college is full of changes. You have to adjust to new friends, new surroundings, a different learning environment and more work. Your body isn’t oblivious to these drastic changes. It responds by releasing stress hormones that bring weight gain.

4. Poor Diet – One of those major changes is the shift from home-cooked meals to the cafeteria and fast food. Most college students struggle to get solid nutrition. They’re facing scrambled schedules with little time or resources to prepare healthy food and limited money to spend. This often brings on unhealthy food choices.

How to shed the extra weight

Make exercise a habit

You could exercise all summer and lose weight. But, if you don’t make exercise a habit when you get back to school in the fall, you may see the weight return. So, take this summer as a chance to find exercise that will fit in your life. If you hate running, don’t force it. If you have fun playing tennis, set up regular tennis dates with your family and friends. Think about where you’ll play when you return to school and who will play with you.

Start a solid sleep routine

No, we don’t want you to sleep every night from 3 am to 1pm. But, we do want you to be consistent. This summer, try to form a predictable sleep routine. Maybe you’ll start having time set aside before bed to relax with a cup of tea or yoga. We know this isn’t going to happen every night when you’re at school, but we do know that forming the habit now will make your rest better.

As you focus on your health this summer, you may have more time to check any health concerns you may have noticed during the busy school year. ARCpoint Labs offers wellness screenings to help you learn about your health and start developing habits for the rest of your time at school.